1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a thermal control system employing an air circulation panel. More specifically, the invention relates to a device used to thermally control a room indirectly by circulating a temperature controlled fluid in a specially designed hollow chamber in a panel forming a portion of the room surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are several types of floor heating systems sometimes called radiant floor heating systems. One type disposes piping under a floor and then circulates a warm treated water in the piping, thereby warming the floor and thereafter the room. A second type disposes an electrical heater cable in the piping instead of warm water. These conventional systems may have installation or economic advantages, but their construction and maintenance is quite expensive. Further these conventional systems may have additional safety and maintenance risks.
Specifically, the warm treated water frequently contains ethylene glycol, a hazardous material when liquid. If the pipes leak, not only will the water cause severe structural damage, but the cleanup may be dangerous. Further, the water pipes are frequently encased in a liquid castable for support and to provide a flat floor. The use of such a castable is expensive and messy and prevents easy repair should the pipes leak and prevents use of this system on overhead or wall surfaces. Additionally, this type of conventional system is not used to cool and so is of limited use in changing residential climates.
Further, the electrical heater cable in piping may have an electrical short which is difficult to find and repair without removal of the entire pipe. The pipes holding the electrical heater cables are also frequently encased in a castable providing the same undesirable problems and risks stated above.
Applicant""s have previously provided a simplified air circulation panel for cooling or heating a room. This simplified invention is disclosed in Applicant""s Japanese patent application SN 11-348877.
In this apparatus a simplified air circulation panel employs a feeding pump to circulate warm or cool air into the interior of a panel on a room surface. The invention provide beneficial construction and maintenance costs compared with the above types but there were several undesirable disadvantages. One disadvantage was that heat conductivity of the structure was low and it took too much time to warm the floor or wall. A second disadvantage was that the expected cost savings were not realized since the operational time was extended. In sum, more improvements were required to reduce the energy costs and to ensure an easily maintained constant room temperature at low costs with easy construction and increased safety.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an air circulation panel that surmounts the forgoing undesirable properties.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an air circulation panel for a room which quickly circulates air in a piping apparatus along an interior surface of the room where the surface can be either a ceiling, floor, or wall.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an air circulation apparatus that may be easily integrated into floor, wall, or ceiling coverings.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an air circulation apparatus that easily maintains a constant temperature while reducing energy consumption.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an air circulation apparatus that reduces an environmental impact of the apparatus by reducing energy consumption and prevents the use of hazardous materials like ethylene glycol and minimizes fire risks from electrical failures.
Briefly stated, the present invention provides a thermal control system including an air colliding chamber bounded by at least a conducting board and an insulating panel. An air jet pipe and an air jet suction pipe extend into the air colliding chamber. Thermally adjusted air is urged into each air jet pipe, and out at least one air jet hole, into the air colliding chamber. In the air colliding chamber, air vortices repeatedly contact the conducting board and thermal transfer occurs. Return air is urged into each air suction pipe through at least one jet suction hole for return and thermal adjustment.
According to one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, comprising: a conducting board, an insulating panel, an air colliding chamber bounded by at least the conducting board, and the insulating panel, at least one air supply pipe and at least one air return pipe in the air colliding chamber, the air supply pipe having at least a first air jet hole, the air return pipe having at least a first air jet suction hole, and first means for urging thermally adjusted air into the air supply pipe and out the at least first air jet hole effective to form a plurality of vortices within the air colliding chamber which causes a thermal exchange between the thermally adjusted air and the conducting board whereby the conducting board is changed in temperature.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, wherein: the first means for urging includes a second means for urging return air into the at least one air jet suction hole and the air return pipe effective to promote the plurality of vortices whereby the thermal exchange is maximized and made more efficient.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, further comprising: at least one supply pipe on the at least one air supply pipe distal the at least first air jet hole, the first means for urging includes a feeding pump on a proximate end of the supply pipe opposite the air supply pipe, at least one return pipe on the at least one air return pipe distal the at least first air jet suction hole, the second means for urging includes a suction pump on a proximate end of the supply pipe opposite the return pipe, and means for producing the thermally adjusted air joining the feeding pump and the suction pump effective to supply the thermally adjusted air to the feeding pump and accept the return air from the return pipe whereby thermal control of the conducting board is simplified.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, further comprising: a plurality of air jet suction holes on a first end of the at least first air return pipe at a separation, in a direction, and at a position effective to maximize vortices thermal transfer to the conducting board, a plurality of air jet holes on a first end of the at least first air supply pipe at a separation, in a direction, and at a position effective to maximize vortices and thermal transfer to the conducting board, a first and a second side wall joining the conducting board and the insulating panel, and the first and the second side walls having a separation, at a height, and in a position effective to maximize the vortices in the air colliding chamber.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, further comprising: at least a first and a second air colliding chambers connected in series along the conducting board, the air supply pipe and the air return pipe in each the chamber connecting in parallel to the supply pipe and the return pipe, and the conducting board extending on a first surface of each the air colliding chamber effective to maximize efficient thermal transfer from each the at least first and the second chamber.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, wherein: the insulating panel includes a recess opposite each the air colliding chamber, and the recess having a shape and a position effective to receive and support the air supply pipe and the air return pipe and maximize efficient thermal transfer to the conducting board.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, further comprising: at least a first by-pass wall in the air colliding chamber, the at least first by-pass wall having a shape and a position, and cantilevered from at least one of the conducting board and the insulating panel into the air colliding chamber, effective to maximize the air vortices and cause efficient thermal transfer to conducting board.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, further comprising: at least a first reflective surface on at least one of a first inner surface of the insulating panel, a second inner surface of the recess, a third surface of the at least first by-pass wall, and a fourth inner surface of the first and the second side wall, and the at least first reflective surface having a thermal conductivity and a reflectivity spectrum effective to maximize effective thermal transfer to the conducting board.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, further comprising: at least a first and a second base, the at least first and second bases adjacent the insulating panel and the conducting board, at least one the air colliding chamber between the first and second bases adjacent the conducting board, the at least first base on a first side of the insulating panel, and the at least second base on a second side of the insulating panel opposite the first base effective to support the conducting board resist a crushing force applied to the conducting board on a side opposite the air colliding chamber and preserve operation of the thermal control apparatus.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, wherein: the insulating panel includes a recess opposite each the air colliding chamber, and the recess having a shape and a position effective to receive and support the air supply pipe and the air return pipe create the air colliding chamber to maximize efficient thermal transfer to the conducting board.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, wherein: the air supply pipe on the air return pipe on a first side of the air colliding chamber.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, further comprising: at least a first by-pass wall in the air colliding chamber, the at least first by-pass wall having a shape and a position, and cantilevered from at least one of the conducting board and the insulating panel into the air colliding chamber, effective to maximize the air vortices and cause efficient thermal transfer to conducting board.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, further comprising: at least a first reflective surface on at least one of a first inner surface of the insulating panel, a second surface of the at least first by-pass wall, and the at least first reflective surface having a thermal conductivity and a reflectivity spectrum effective to maximize effective thermal transfer to the conducting board.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, further comprising: a supply header, the supply header connecting to the supply pump to the at least one supply pipe having a shape and a position effective to equalize a supply pressure to the at least one supply pipe and increase the effective thermal transfer, a return header, the return header connecting the suction pump to the at least one return pipe having a shape and a position effective to equalize a suction pressure to the at least one supply pipe.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, wherein: the means for producing includes an air chamber, an indoor device in thermal communication with an outdoor device through circulation of at least a cooling medium and effective to supply a thermally controlled air flow to the air chamber, the air chamber effective to operate a heat exchange between the thermally controlled air flow and the return air and produce the thermally adjusted air flow and supply the thermally adjusted air flow to the supply pump while receiving the return air from the return pipe.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, comprising: an air colliding chamber defined by at least an insulating panel and a conducting board, a least a first air supply pipe having a first end shielded in the air colliding chamber, at least a first air return pipe having a second end shielded in the air colliding chamber, a feeding pump in communication with a third end of the air supply pipe, a suction pump in communication with a fourth end of the air return pipe, a boiler in communication with each the feeding pump and the suction pump, a plurality of air jet holes disposed adjacent the first end of the air supply pipe, a plurality of air jet suction holes disposed adjacent the second end of the first return pipe, and the feeding pump and the suction pump effective to urge a thermally adjusted air flow through the air supply pipe into the air colliding chamber and remove air through the air return pipe which causes multiple vortices which provide thermal exchange between the thermally adjusted air and the conducting board.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, wherein: the air supply pipe is adjacent a first side of the air colliding chamber, and the air return pipe is adjacent a second side of the air colliding chamber opposite the air supply pipe.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, wherein: the air supply pipe adjacent a first side of the air colliding chamber, and the air return pipe adjacent the air supply pipe.
According to another embodiment of said present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, further comprising: an air circulation unit, said air supply pipe and said air return pipe in said air circulation unit, said air circulation unit having a shape adapted to said insulating panel, said air colliding chamber in said air circulation unit, and said air circulation unit having a construction, a shape, and a material effective to provide efficient thermal transfer to said conducting board.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, wherein: the plurality of air jet holes having a lateral position along a length direction of the air supply pipe, the plurality of air jet suction holes having a lateral position along a length of the air return pipe, each the air jet hole having a position intermediate each the air jet suction hole, and the plurality of air jet holes and the plurality of the air jet suction holes having a positions adjacent the air colliding chamber effective to maximize the air vortices and enhance efficient thermal transfer to the conducting board.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, further comprising: at least a first by-pass wall, the at least one by-pass wall cantilevered from one of the conducting board and the insulating panel into the air colliding chamber, and the at least one by-pass wall effective to enhance the air vortices and enhance efficient thermal transfer to the conducting board.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a thermal control apparatus, further comprising: a surface plate on the conducting board, and the surface plate effective to receive thermal energy from the conducting board by conduction and transfer the thermal energy into an adjacent external region by one of convection and radiation whereby the thermal control device operates to thermally control the adjacent external region.
The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same elements.